Sikkim has aptly given highest priority to tourism as an engine of economic growth. The tourist flow is now nearly hitting the million mark. The Tsomgo-Baba Mandir-Nathula axis/ route has become the most sought after circuit among domestic visitors.
The plying of around 800 vehicles packed with tourists everyday during ‘season’ to this destination is mind bogging but understandable since all the visitors are clamouring to see the snows or high mountains topped by Nathula - once a scary border with unpredictable neighbor, now a pass through which trade plies between neighbours. Now, a few of strands of barbed wire define the border and shaking hands with stern soldiers guarding the border is the highlight that every visitor dreams to take home and talk about with friends back home. The border trade over Nathula, though on a small scale, is another attraction. Once the exchange of Dak (mails) between two mail-runners at the border over a particular stone without uttering a word – adhering the international convention as per Universal Postal Union – was both, a mystery and attraction. We were told many a times the mail-bags were empty, nevertheless the ritual was held on a daily basis. I remain unaware of the current mode of postal service on Nathula.
It is good augury that the Kyangnosla Gram Panchayat, under the Presidentship of IK Rasaily, has made attempts to discuss the matter with all the stake-holders in regards to this awful, rather dangerous, state of affairs of road condition. The so called two-lane highway with doubtful mountain engineering skills has made the matter worse. The road to Nathula – JN Marg as it is now known - was originally carved out as a bridle path for caravans of mules and yaks to make it across the border. As recently as in the 1950s, Karponang, Tsomgo and Sherathang were halting places for these caravans before they crossed over to Pipithang on the Tibetan side. It was a treat to pass through forests laden with rhododendrons and travel in the company of whistling muleteers and tinkling caravans laden with wool.
Then, CPWD, under the skilled Executive Engineer - Mathur, ably guided by FC Jali, managed to carve out a road for single-file flow of modest traffic of a dozen or so vehicles. The 1962 Indo-China war, although it was not fought on Sikkim’s frontiers, attracted fresh attention to the roads and soon, with some improvements, the modest track became a full-fledged highway carrying heavy army Shaktimans.
The angle of repose established over the years gave away and after a series of landslides has now become a nightmare. The 13th mile land-slide above Karponang, as far as I can remember, was always a challenge. The combined team of Foresters and Engineers headed by RS Bhim Bahadur Pradhan, Forest Manager and State Engineer Rai Bahadur FC Jali was constituted and both struggled through several experiments with myriad trial and error attempts for good three decades but to no specific avail for the very fact the whole hillside have given away with no toehold whatsoever to retain the load. The then Political Officer Basil Gould thought it fit that let nature take its own course. Arjan Singh, then Conservator of Forests from Himachal Pradesh, wanted to give it a try and requisitioned the services of an accomplished soil conservationist - Sharma – who, ably supported by the versatile Range Officer Wangdi, tried a series of brushwood check dams and all sorts of biological controls. In later years, planting of Kudzu vine, Chinese bamboos, poplars from Lachung etc. were tried. But none offered a solution at this ecologically fragile niche in the Sikkim Himalayas.
Ecologically speaking, the geological formation of this special segment of the Sikkim Himalayas is specific to this region and so unique that it has baffled both geologists and the botanists/ foresters. It is the highest rainfall zone in the entire Himalayan chain with Kyangnosola receiving the highest rainfall next only to Cherrapunji in Meghalaya! In reality, nature played its wizardry during the tectonic upheavals of prehistory to make this axis so unique. There is nowhere in the world where there is such a large concentration of floral wealth as one finds in this particular area. Imagine some 34 species of Primulas within a mere 10 sq km patch around Tamze-Kynagnosala. This, out of the 44 species in Sikkim. The rhododendrons species are nearly all there. So truly, it looks like nature has cursed us for meddling with her ecological niche which she has blessed with such uniqueness.
What is clear then is that the question of stabilizing the slips along JN Marg has a history of its own and to put it bluntly there is no engineering skill at our disposal at this given time to offer solutions.
No doubt we have excellent engineering skills to make roads in the plains. I had been to North Sikkim a year back and was amazed to see two lane roads from Dokung to Tso-Lhamu which I could commute in just half an hour. The same stretch used to take me almost an entire day in the 1960s on yaks. But when we come to mountain roads, especially those like JN Road and the Mangan-Tsungthang stretch, they become nightmares for our engineers. But there are countries that have expertise of working on such terrain giving due respect to its natural drainage, and prudence lies in finding them and entrusting them. The Chinese are good at handling such challenged, but since their help is politically an absolute No, No, perhaps the Koreans could be approached since the consultancy of Europeans like the Swiss and the Austrians will prove too costly an affair. Infrastructure-wise, it is a race against time. Unless we have good road communication combined with adequate tele-communication of modern day innovation, setting any targets are hollow dreams. To learn that telecommunication as good as nonexistent beyond Mangan in North Sikkim, which happens to be the prime tourist destination, is embarrassing and worrying. I don’t know why some heads have not rolled at this continued disservice. Since the country now has a no-nonsense man like General VK Singh as Minister for DoNER and a young articulate Minister of State for Home Affairs in Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal, perhaps this sluggishness of service will become things of the past. Good to know our MPs are already on the job in this regard, having called on both Gen. Singh and Mr. Rijiju and appraised them of the infrastructural situation along Sikkim’s borders.
Is there any alternate to JN Road? The only way is to carve out an alternate route from Bhusuk/Pabyuk on Bhusuk-Pakyong road to Kyangnosala aligned along the spur and using this strictly for civilian light vehicles. Understandably, some stretch of forests will have to go and with the change of mindset at the Ministry of Environment & Forests, necessary clearance are not an impossibility any more. This alternate link could be handled by State PWD itself, but a better option will be entrusting the execution to some road construction company of repute, keeping aside the son of the soil policy which is notorious for slip-shod approach unless they change with the new approach to governance here which seems to mean business. There are no bridges to cross over any rivers or rivulets. This will largely avoid all the scary landslides, easing our tourist traffic. The concerned authorities might want to give it a thought.
It is sad to learn that an entire family from Gujarat lost their lives in Vong in North Sikkim. Meanwhile, as per Sikkim Police’s thoughtful assessment obtained from visitors, almost all have left rather bad remarks for our drivers, in whose hands the fate of our august visitors hinges. Good they have taken steps to impart some crash course to improve this lot. In that sense Sikkim, has to learn a lot from across the border in Darjeeling – all due to manners and skills ingrained in them from the days of the Raj. Rash driving by young enthusiastic lads, at times mostly to make double the number of trips, is just not acceptable. Some 30 years back when Tourism was still in a nascent stage, the appointment of Flying Squads armed with good communication and first aid skill was considred. When some 1,000 vehicles ply daily on the North Sikkim Highway and on JN Marg, some thought should be paid to have Police Squads based at Gangtok, Mangan, and Tsungthang, Gyalzing etc. with exclusive responsibility to maintain vigil on the flow of the traffic - especially when the weather is foul - at all vulnerable places and at nights on roads under their respective jurisdictions. Something on these lines would be an ethical service since we have considered levying some fees on every visitor. This should bring about some sense of confidence among the visitors and alertness among the Drivers.
In addition to strict policing, the remedy lies within the Drivers’ Associations themselves. The latter should be encouraged and assisted by Sikkim Tourism to keep a constant vigil on their members and the slightest fault or complaint should have the wrongdoers debarred after a disciplinary committee has gone through the lapses. Encouraging our educated youth towards driving with easy car loans is also worth considering. We once had “205 Yapla” (so called after his vehicle - SKM 205) who was much admired by all for his suave manner. And then there was the recent news of a lady taxi driver but she has not been heard of since being felicitated as the First Lady Taxi Driver of Sikkim. What is important though is that rules for issuing driving license to drive Taxis should be re-visited and made as strict as they can be made, including making some course mandatory prior to issuing license. Let’s not forget that it is the Taxi Driver with whom the visitors make friends first whether to fix their accommodation or to take them around for sightseeing or shopping or recommending eating joints. That happens to be the case in all countries- almost as a set norm. Such is the importance of this group. The best course is to create this special profession through special training. Their stake in tourism trade is insurmountable.
It is also necessary to bear in mind that if plying of excessive and heavy vehicles beyond the carrying capacity of our roads is detrimental, the mass-tourism model without regard to our eco-system should be re-visited. Prudence lies in chalking out a path that is sustainable for all. These consideration will be good to deliberate on the eve of World Environment Day.
The need to provide a sense of security among visitors has never been as important as it is today when Sikkim has been acclaimed the Best Tourist Destination for the year and we have to learn to keep abreast with this high accolade realizing that ‘heavy lies the head that wears the crown’.
Foto Caption: A NOW! file foto of a not very uncommon tourist experience on a drive to Nathula.
